Oil field rotary



June 16, 1936. B, BOYKlNv JR 2,044,203

OIL FIELD ROTARY Filed Aug. 1, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mmBurwelIBoyHinJr.

June 16, 1936. B. BOYKIN. JR

OIL FIELD ROTARY 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1

BurweHBoyKinjv.

M W. M O J 0. o s Q mm m m u n U9 Q E June 16, 1936. B, BOWN JR2,044,203

OIL FIELD ROTARY Filed Aug. 1, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet s Bum/4e Boykm Jrgwuc wto'o mum as @aw Patented June 16, 1936 OIL FIELD ROTARY BurwellBoykin, Jr., Beaumont, 'Iex., assignor to International Derrick &Equipment Company,

a corporation Application August 1,

Claims.

The invention relates to rotaries employed in communicating a rotativemovement to the drill stem and the drill in oil field drilling.

Oil field rotaries of this general character are very common. A table,having a central opening to receive the kelley at the upper end of thedrill stem, is mounted rotatably upon a base. A gear ring around themargin of the table is operatively connected with a drive pinion torotate the table and the well drill. In the modern practice of welldrilling by the rotary system 1t is desirable to rotate the rotary at ahigh rate of speed for the reason that the drill when rotated rapidly isfound to not only make a hole more rapidly but to keep the holestraight. When the large size rotaries are rotated at a high rate ofspeed rapid wear upon the device results and also there is danger inconnection with rotating a table of large diameter at an excessivespeed.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device for engaging thedrive stem-or kelley which is operatively connected with the usualrotary table so that the speed of rotation of the kelley may beincreased over the speed of rotation of the rotary table. In otherwords, I contemplate the provision of a speed increase between the tableand the kelley engaging member operated thereby.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rotary of the usualconstruction upon which a kelley gripping device may be mounted andadapted to be operated through the rotation of the rotary table, suchassembly being removable from the table when desired.

It is a further object to provide a speed change device to be used withthe rotary table which is enclosed in such manner as to avoid danger tothe operator and to protect the gears employed in operating the kelleydriving means.

The invention resides particularly in the arrangement of theconstruction the mechanical details of which will be more thoroughlyunderstood from reference to the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away in vertical section toshow the construction of my device.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 certain partsbeing broken away for greater clearness.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through an attachment to beemployed upon a rotary showing a slightly different embodiment from thatdisclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar vertical section illustrating a still difierentembodiment of the inventive idea.

1935, Serial No. 34,201

My device is adapted to be attached to the ordinary rotary with butslight changes in the construction thereof. In fact it is intended as anattachment for rotaries now being operated. In the drawings, I haveshown a rotary mounted upon abase comprising two opposite skids orsupports l which are connected transversely by beams '2.

The rotary includes a bed plate 3 having a central opening dotherethrough, through which the drill bit is adapted to be extended.Mounted rotatably upon this base is the rotary table 4. Said tablecomprises a unitary casting, the upper portion of which is of annularflattened shape. The outer margin of the table furnishes attachment foran annular gear ring 6, which is shrunk around the outer surface of thetable and may be secured thereto by any desired means. The table isextended downwardly around the central opening 5a and has adjacent thelower end a bearing raceway l adapted to be supported upon a row ofrollers or balls .8, said balls being supported upon a lower raceway '9resting upon the base 3.

The table is given a rotary motion by means of a drive pinion It securedupon the drive shaft II. This pinion is adapted to engage with the teethof the gear ring 6 and communicate rotative movement thereto. Said shaftis journaled in bearings 12. and 13 supported upon the base at one endthereof.

Within the rotary table I have shown an adaptor Id. This adapter may beof any desired size and is supported in the opening 4a through the tableupon a shoulder on the inner wall of the opening and is held againstrotation by a locking bolt is extending inwardly from the table. Saidbolt is operated through a hand lever II, this part or" the structureforming no part of the present invention.

The adapter is shown as having a squared opening at l8 to engage withthe lower skirt I9 upon my kelley gripping device which will bepresently described. Below the squared opening H3 is a downwardlytapered Wall '20 within which the pipe engaging slips ordinarilyemployed may be inserted when desired.

My kelley driving means includes a lower base or drive plate 2| which isannular in shape and has adjacent its inner margin the downwardlyextending skirt l9 previously noted. This skirt is squared in plan viewso as to engage within the squared opening l3 and be hence rotatablewith the rotation of the rotary table.

The drive plate 2| of the kelley gripping device has, mounted at aplurality of points thereon, drive pinions or gears 22. Each of saidpinions is mounted upon a vertical post 23, the lower end of which isreduced and extended through a supporting boss 24 formed upon said driveplate 2| and held in position by a nut 25 on the lower end of said post.There is abearing housing 25 between the post and the interior of thegear upon which the gear is rotatable. As will be seen from Fig. 2, Iemploy two such pinions although any desired number may be used.

Each pinion gear meshes: on its outer side with an annular internal gear26 which is secured to the inner wall of the housing 21. On its innerside the gear 22 meshes with agear 28 upon a bushing 29.

The housing 21 is fixed in position and is extended downwardly aroundthe outer margin of the drive member 2| and has a hold-down plate 28secured thereto, said plate engaging below the outer margin 29 of therotatable base 2 I. Between the housing and the outer margin of theplate 2| is an anti-friction bearing 30. It will thus be seen that theplate 2| may rotate relative to the housing, the bearing 30 serving tolimit the amount of friction between the base and the housing.

At one side of the housing member is a laterally extending arm 3|, whichis anchored at its outer end at 32 to the frame of the base.

The drive bushing 29 to which the gear 28 is attached is reduced at bothends, the lower end extending downwardly through the skirt l9. There isa shoulder at 33 resting upon the upper end of the skirt l9 and theupper end of the drive bushing is held from movement downward relativeto the housing by a cap plate 34- secured to the bushing and extendingover an upwardly extending line 35 upon the housing. The interior of thedrive bushing is formed of polygonal shape to engage with the outerperiphery of the drive stem or kelley 36.

In the operation of the rotary through the rotation of the drive shaftII, the table 4 will be rotated upon the bearings 38 upon the base andin rotating will carry with it the lower plate 2| of the kelley drive.The rotation of this lower plate will carry with it the gears 22. As theouter portion of each gear 22 is engaged with the internal gear 26 itwill have a rapid rotation as it is moved around within the housing.This rotation will be communicated to the gear 28 upon the drive bushing29 and the result will be a rapid rotation of the drive bushing. Thesizes of the gears 22, 26, and 28 may be so calibrated as to give thedesired speed ratio between the rotary table 4 and the drive bushing 29and it will be seen that a moderately slow speed of the rotary tablewill result in a comparatively high speed of rotation of the drivebushing 29. It will be possible, therefore, through this arrangement todrive the kelley 36 at a high rate of speed without the necessity ofrotating the table 4 at an excessive rate. As the rapidly rotating drivebushing is housed in the manner shown it will be possible to maintainthese gears properly lubricated and protect them against slush and. mud.Furthermore, this arrangement is conducive to safety in that the rapidlyrotating parts are not exposed.

In Figs. 3 and 4 modified forms of the kelley driving means are shown.In the Fig. 3 embodiment I have shown the base member 2| as having abearing raceway 31 supporting the drive bushing 29 so that the bushingin operating will not be subject to excessive friction during rotation.I also place a bearing raceway 38 toward the upper end of the housingand at a point above a shoulder 39 on the upper portion of the 5bushing. The bushing itself is formed. with a radially extending flange40 upon which the gear 28 is secured.

The interior of the drive bushing is shown as providing with a squaredupper end 4|, below 10 which the opening is circular and tapered at 42to a cylindrical opening 43 at the lower end. This type of drive.bushing enables one to place a kelley gripping member within the squaredopening 4| which when removed will allow the 15 use of slips within thetapered portion 42, thus making it unnecessary in handling pipe toremove the kelley driving means from the rotary table.

In Fig. 4 the kelley drive bushing 29" is pro- 20 vided with a squaredopening through its length to fit about the kelley. There is a lateralflange 44 at its upper end engaging over the shoulder upon the upper endof a rotating sleeve 45. The drive bushing is held in place supportedupon 25 the sleeve 45 by a cap 46.

The sleeve 45 has a squared opening to receive the drive bushing and hasa radial flange 41 to which the gear 48 is secured. The sleeve 45 issupported above and below the flange 41 by race- 30 ways 49 and 50,respectively.

It will be seen that with this type of attachment for the rotaryordinarily employed I am enabled to drive the kelley at a rapid rate ofspeed without the necessity of rotating the heavy 35 rotary table atmore than an ordinary moderate rate of speed. This will be of materialadvantage particularly in the heavy types of rotaries which are employedin drilling deep wells where a high rate of speed is desired. Hence withthe 40 heavy type of rotary where rapid rotation is undesirable I amenabled to get the desired rapid rotation of the drill stem withoutdanger to the operator or heavy wear upon the equipment.

What is claimed as new is: 5

1. A rotary table, means to rotate the same, said table having a centralopening, a drive plate fixed against rotation therein, a pinion on saidplate and rotatable with said table and drive plate, a stationaryhousing about said drive plate, 50 an internal gear thereon engagingsaid pinion,

a kelley, a drive bushing thereon, and a gear on said. bushing engagingsaid pinion.

2. A rotary table, means to rotate the same, said table having acentral'opening, a drive plate fixed against rotation therein, a pinionon said plate and rotatable with said table and drive plate, astationary housing about said drive plate, an internal gear thereonengaging said pinion,

a kelley, a drive bushing thereon, means on said drive plate torotatably support said bushing, and a gear on said bushing engaging saidpinion.

3. A well drilling rotary including a circular table, a central openingtherein, a drive plate fitting non-rotatably in said opening, means torotate said table, a pinion mounted rotatably on said drive plateeccentrically thereof, a stationary internal gear operatively engagingsaid pinion,

a central drive bushing and a drive gear on said bushing engaging saidpinion and rotatable thereby.

4. A well drilling rotary including a table, means to rotate said table,a drive plate engaging non-rotatably in said table, a kelley extendingthrough said table and plate, a drive bushing on said kelley and ageared. drive transmission between said plate and said bushing, wherebysaid bushing and kelley are rotatable at a higher rate of speed thansaid table.

5. A well drilling rotary including a rotatable table having a centralopening, a drive plate engaging non-rotatably in said opening, a drivebushing above said opening, and a gear transmission between said plateand said bushing whereby said bushing is rotatable at a speed higherthan that of said rotary table.

6. A bed plate, a table rotatably mounted thereon, means to rotate saidtable, a drive plate engaging a central opening in said table, aplurality of drive pinions on said plate eccentrically thereof, astationary housing for said plate and pinion, a drive bushing rotatablysupported centrally of said plate, a gear on said drive bushing engagingsaid pinion and a stationary ring gear on said housing engaging saidpinion on the outer side thereof.

'7. A bed plate, a table rotatably mounted thereon, means to rotate saidtable, a drive plate engaging a central opening in said table, aplurality of drive pinions on said plate eccentrically thereof, ahousing enclosing said plate and pinions, means on said housing to holdthe same stationary, an internal gear on said housing engaging saidpinion, a drive bushing centrally of said plate, and a gear thereonengaging said drive pinion.

8. A kelley drive member adapted to be engaged within a rotary table andto be rotated thereby, said member including a drive plate engaging saidtable, a stationary housing interfltting about the margin of said driveplate, a central drive bushing, and means on said plate operativelyengaging with said housing and drive bushing to rotate said drivebushing at a speed greater than that of said plate.

9. A kelley drive member adapted to be engaged within a rotary table andto be rotated thereby, said member including a drive plate engaging saidtable, a stationary housing interfltting about the margin of said driveplate, a central drive bushing, a radial flange on said bushing,bearings for said bushing above and below said flange, and means on saidplate operatively engaging with said housing and drive bushing at aspeed greater than that of said plate.

10. A kelley drive member adapted to be engaged within a rotary tableand to be rotated thereby, said member including a drive plate engagingsaid table, a stationary housing interfltting about the margin of saiddrive plate, a central drive bushing, a radial flange thereon,antifriction bearings above and below said flange, a polygonal kelleyengaging seat in said bushing, a gear on said flange, a stationary gearon said housing and a drive pinion on said plate engaging both saidgears.

BURWELL BOYKIN, JR.

